L

abora Sitorus, a former low-ranking officer with the Raja Ampat Police in West Papua, has once again made a mockery of Indonesia'€™s law-enforcement agencies.

Having been temporarily released from detention last year, despite the huge time and effort that had been expended getting him into prison in the first place, the convicted money launderer, fuel stockpiler and illegal logger is once again on the run.

Labora avoided arrest on Friday after being tipped off that prison officials were on the way to transfer him to Cipinang Penitentiary in Jakarta to serve out his 15-year prison term handed down by the Supreme Court in 2014.

His planned transfer to Cipinang came after it became apparent that West Papua law-enforcement authorities were either unable or unwilling to detain Labora, who was found at the time of his first arrest to have a bank account with a balance of Rp 1.5 trillion (US$104 million).

Labora had not returned to his cell in Sorong Penitentiary since October last year, having been allowed out for medical treatment, and had lived in a heavily guarded residential compound in Sorong, where he ran his business.

On Friday morning dozens of prison officials, backed up by police and military personnel, stormed Labora'€™s residence in order to take him to Jakarta but were ultimately unable to locate him.

'€œWe suspect the involvement of [law enforcement] officials in his escape,'€ Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said, while declining to elaborate further.

Yasonna has sought the assistance of the National Police to hunt down Labora.

The ministry'€™s director general of penitentiaries, I Wayan Dusak, explained that the 200 personnel who had attempted to enter Labora'€™s residence were met with stiff resistance from dozens of the fugitive'€™s supporters.

'€œA police Barracuda armored vehicle was deployed to penetrate Labora'€™s residential compound because his supporters repeatedly pelted us with stones,'€ he said.

'€œWe then contained his supporters, but could not find him.'€

Labora has a record of avoiding prison. He was declared a fugitive in January last year for refusing to serve his prison sentence or pay a fine of Rp 5 billion.

He was later found to be living with dozens of his employees in his residence, a 7-hectare compound that resembled a fortress.

It was not until late February that 720 police and military personnel, acting on direct orders from Jakarta, finally arrested Labora.

Minister Yasonna said at the time that Labora had remained free because he was protected by a strong network of powerful people.

West Papua Police chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw rejected Yasonna'€™s allegations, arguing that Labora'€™s resistance to his arrest at the time was the result of a misunderstanding.

Shortly after his first detention, Labora repeatedly lodged requests for temporary release to enable him to receive medical treatment outside the prison. The demands were granted without hesitation by prison authorities.

National Police Gen. Badrodin Haiti, however, was quick to blame prison authorities for the latest fiasco. '€œJust ask the law and human rights minister how a prisoner can so easily avoid prison and escape,'€ said a visibly irate Badrodin.

'€” Ina Parlina and Stefany ribka also contributed to the story